Highway fence



May 10, 1932. E. K. COLE 1,857,435

HIGHWAY FENCE Filed March 25, 1930 2 sheets-sheet 1 May l0, 1932. CQLE 1,857,435

HIGHWAY FENCE Filed March 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [1222022 for F/merZ ("ale 2; 96%;; Al y/o Patented May 10, 1932 nan STATES" PATENT OFFICE ELMEB K. COLE, OF WINTERSET, IOWA.

HIGHWAY mm:

Application filed March 25, 1930. Serial No. 438,748.

.32 either the vehicle or its occupants.

A further object is to provide in a highway safety fence improved yieldable posts and means for anchoring the same.

A further object is to provide improved means for fastening the guard cables to the posts whereby the said fastened means may be attached to or removed from the posts and its'guard cable without disconnecting the guard cable from other posts.

20 A further object is to provide in a highway fence improved means for supporting the guard cables to the posts in such a manner that the saidguard cables will be supported inside of the post a considerable distance to prevent a vehicle striking the guard cables at an angle from engaging the post and thus eliminate serious injury to the post.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various 30 parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and

' illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fence, one "of the posts beingill-ustrated in an inclined position, such as it would assume if struck by a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a vertical, sectional view of one of the posts employed in my fence construction, and also illustrates the base on which thepost is mounted and my improved means for anchoring the base and post.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of my improved post taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure l is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan viewof my improved cable support, one end of one of the support members being elevated.

Figure 6 is a detail section taken on the. line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of my improved yieldable means used in the anchor rods for the end posts of my improved fence.

In the drawings I have used the numeral I 10 to indicate a highway paving having a curbing 11.

Formed integral with the curbing 11 is a series of base blocks 12 having their top surfaces substantially even with the top of the ground. Said base blocks are formed of the same material as the curbing 11 and spaced apart a distance equal to the desired spacing of the posts of my improved fence. Each of the base blocks 12-is provided with a downwardly and inwardly extending anchor rod 13, having an earth anchor 14 at its lower end. The said anchor rod 13 projects diagonallythrough the central portion of the upper and inner corner of the block 12, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The upper end of the rod 13 is provided with an eye or loop 15. Said loop 15 is designed to receive a U bolt 16, having its free ends threaded to receive nuts 17 and a bar 18.

A spring 19 is mounted on the U bolt 16, having its upper end resting against the bar 18, and its lower end supported by a bar 20, which is slidably mounted on the U bolt 16. The said bar 20 is provided with suitable openings for receiving that] bolt.

The central portion of the bar 20 is provided with a'bolt 21 which extends through the bar 18 and upwardly into the body of the post 22. The said body is preferably in the form of a tube, having its lower end supported on neck portion 23 of a base member 24. The said base member is formed hollow to receive the spring 19, with the lower end of the base resting on the block 12.

The lower end "of the base 24 is provided with a flange or foot 25, which is preferably of oblong shape, having the base 24 mounted near one end of the said foot in the manner clearly illustrated in Figure 7 Suitable flanges 26 are provided for reinforcing the said foot. The post is mounted on the base 12 with the long side of the foot 25 projecting outwardly from the road bed. The upper end of the body of the post '22 is provided with a cap 27, through which the upper end of the bolt 21 projects and is secured in position by means of an, ornamental knob 28. The said knob 28. is threaded to the upper end of the bolt 21 and serves as a nut for placing tension on the spring 19 and for binding the body of the post and its base together, and for yieldably supporting the foot of the post against the upper surface of the block 12.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the post 22 is yieldably supported in an upright position that is free to be inclined in any direction when excessive pressure is applied latterly to the post.

It will be seen that on account of the elongated foot, a greateramount of pressure will be required to swing the upper end of the post outwardly from the center of the road bed than would be required to swing the post in any otherdirection.

A post similar to the one above described is applied to each of the blocks 12 in a manner illustrated in Figure 1. Guard cables 29 are supported adjacent to the inner surfaces of all of said posts. The ends of the guard cables 29 are rigidly secured to the end posts 30 by any suitable clamping means, while the said guard cables are secured to the post 22 by means of my improved cable support.

31, which is formed of a pair of semi-circular supporting members 32, one set of corresponding ends of said supporting members being provided with laterally projecting lugs 33 for receiving clamping bolt 34.. The opposite ends of the members 32 are provided with laterally projecting lugs 35, each of which terminates in a hook portion 36.

Each of the hook portions 36 is provided with a laterally projecting flange 37. i The hook member of one supporting member 32 is arranged in an opposite direction from the hook member of the other supporting member and designed to be supported side by side so as to form a complete loop for receiving the cable 29. The flange 37 and one hook member 36 are designed to fill the open space of the opposite hook member.

Each of the flanges 37 is provided with a notch 38 for receiving the flange 35 of the other hook member, thereby providing means whereby the flanges 35 will be held against separating from each other.

The flanges 37 also serve to block the hooks against opening when the supporting members 32 are applied to a post and secured in position by means of the block bolt 34.

The hooks 36 are designed to form a loop slightly larger than the diameter of the guard cables 29 whereby the guard cables are free to slide through the supporting members.

By forming the guard cable supportin two pieces, I have provided means whereby the support may be applied to the guard cable and to the post after the guard cable has been supported in position adjacent to the post, thus providing means whereby any guard cable supports that might become accidentally broken may beeasily and quickly replaced without interfering with any other guard cable supports, and, at the same time, provide a guard cable support which will rigidly hold the cable against up and down movement or laterally toward or from the post.

' The flanges 35 may be of any desired length so that the guard cables 29 maybe supported a considerable distance inside of the fence post if so desired, thus providing means whereby if the guard cables are struck by a vehicle moving through an inclined path relative to said guard cables, the post will not be injured.

Each of the end posts 30 is provided with anchor rod 39. Each anchor rod 39 includes a yieldable device 40 similar in construction to the yieldable means within the base 24 of the posts. Said yieldable device 40 is clearly illustrated in Figure 8. The yieldable anchor rods 39 provide means whereby any given fence post 22 struck laterally by a moving vehicle will be inclined outwardly in a manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings. Said posts are indicated by, the character A. The posts B will also yield outwardly to a less extent than the posts A. The end posts 30 will move slightly toward each other against the resistance of the yieldable device 40. The length of the U bolt 16 and the diameter of the wire of which the spring 19 is formed, is such that when the post A is' inclined to the position illustrated in Figure 3, then the said spring 19 will be completely collapsed and serves to limit any further outward movement of the upper end of the post, thus providing means whereby the post will be held against assuming a horizontal position and provides means for stopping the vehicle rather than permitting it to travel over the top of the fence as would be the case if the post was permitted to swing to a horizontal position, and thus provides means for effectively relieving the vehicle of the severe shock it would encounter if engaging a rigid fence, and, at the same time, provides means against it leaving the. grade. As soon as the vehicle has been disengaged from the fence, the post will automatically assume its upright position. Thus it will be seen I have provided an improved highway fence which is of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, having improved means whereby severe shocks will be modified, and, at the same time, prevent the vehicle from leaving the grade.

It will further be seen that I have provided means for anchoring the same, whereby a post is yieldable in all directions and offering greater resistance to outward movements,

I have provided improved and, further,

the guard cables to the means for fastening posts.

I claim as my 1nvent1on:

1. A highway fence comprising a series of spaced base blocks adjacent to one side of the highway, a post on each base, means for yieldably supporting the post in an upright position to tilt in all directions and whereby. the resistance against outward tilting movement is greatest, a horizontal cable adjacent to the inner face of said post, and means for fastening said cable to said post.

2. A highway fence comprising a series of spaced base blocks adjacent to one side of the highway, a post oneach base, means for yieldably supporting the post on an upright position to tilt in all directions whereby the resistance against outward tilting movement is greatest, a horizontal cable adjacent to the inner face of said post, meansfor fastening the ends of said cable to the end post of said series of posts, and yieldable bracing means for holding the end p'osts against tilting toward each other under normal conditions and to permit movement of the upper end of said end poststoward each other when excessive strains are applied laterally to said cable.

3. A highway fence comprising a series of spaced base blocks adjacent to'one side of the highway, a post on each base, means for yieldably supporting the post in an upright position to tilt in all directions whereby the resistance against outward tilting movement is greatest, a horizontal cable adjacent to the inner face of said post, means for fastening the ends of said cable to the end post of said series of posts, yieldable bracing means for holding the end posts against tilting toward each other under normal permit movement of the upper end of said end posts toward each other when excessive strains are applied laterally to said cable, and means for slidably the intermediate posts of said series.

- 4. A highway fence comprising a series of spaced base blocks adjacent to one side of the highway, a post on each base, means for yieldably supporting a post in an upright position to tilt in all directions, adjacent to the inner face of said post, means for fastening the ends of said cable to the end post of the series of posts, and yieldable brac ing means for holding the end posts'against tilting toward each other under normal conditions and to permit movement of the upper end of said en'd po'sts toward each other when exgissive strains are applied laterally to said ca e.

Des Moines, Iowa, January 9, 1930.

LMER K. COLE.

conditions and to 7 connecting saidcable to a horizontal cable 

